Microsoft sends mixed messages with its new design tools — Microsoft is sending out mixed messages, in terms of its Web-design-tool strategy. — First, there's the positioning. Redmond's "we plan to complement, not compete with Adobe" rhetoric — which I'm doubtful anyone who knows Microsoft will buy for a second.

The new Expression & WPF/E — The covers are off on the new Microsoft Expression design suite. Everything we've known so far regarding Expression Blend as well as the new sub-domain names has been right, even Robert McLaws was nearly dead-on with his speculation on Expression Media.

A MySpace for grown-ups — Social networking has been great for the kids, but not of much use to business - until now. With Reid Hoffman's MySpace-for-grown-ups at a tipping point, these days you're either LinkedIn or left out. — (Business 2.0 Magazine) — At a Starbucks in downtown Mountain View …

Azureus' HD Vids Trump YouTube — The file sharing company Azureus on Monday launched a new distribution platform for downloading high-quality video, which the company hopes will become the next YouTube — but for high definition, DVD-quality video on the internet.

The Future of Web Ads Is in Britain — If you want a glimpse of the future of advertising, you can hire a consultant — or you can travel to Britain. — Online advertising is racing ahead in Britain, growing at a roughly 40 percent annual rate, and is expected to account for as much as 14 percent …

The big Digg rig — Digg became one of the top sites for tech news because it lets Web-savvy geeks decide what's newsworthy, offer up stories they like and vote on their favorites. — Now, dubious Internet marketers are planting stories, paying people to promote items …

Marketers' Websites Outdraw Those of Major Media Players — P&G and Unilever Attract 9 Million Unique Visitors Monthly — CINCINNATI (AdAge.com) — Believe it or not, those boring corporate websites are pulling in more eyeballs — and more influencers — than the flashy prime time TV shows …

Bram Cohen on BitTorrent's Future — Ace programmer Bram Cohen denies he is leaving BitTorrent — and says he's busier than ever positioning the company to totally own online video downloads. — In an exclusive e-mail interview, Cohen responds to the rumors that he is stepping down …

VeriSign locks up .com through 2012 — VeriSign will keep control over the .com top-level domain under terms of an agreement signed last week. The US Department of Commerce has finally approved the deal reached last year, which will allow VeriSign to raise rates by up to 7 percent in four …

The five Google products — It seems like only yesterday that a bunch of breathless articles appeared touting the brilliance of Google's innovation strategy. That strategy was, if you recall, the spaghetti strategy: Throw a lot of stuff against the wall and see what sticks.

Ask City Launches Amid High Expectations — Barry Diller is putting a lot of pressure on Ask. He keeps talking about Ask's role in IAC's overall operation and local in particular. When he acquired Ask for almost $2 billion Diller immediately touted Ask's ability to knit together …